Multiplayer Games

Description

Multiplayer games are those in which a number of players are engaged as
autonomous agents, each playing to their own purpose.

The game may be played in the real world, on a board or in a virtual world in
a computer.

Each player may be choose how they act within the rules of the game. A key
decision is whether to play independently or to join with others and work as a
team. Even when working in a team, people may work to their own purpose,
including betraying others or forming rival other groups.

The game is typically managed by a games master who has god-like powers, revealing events and refereeing
interactions. The games-master may be a human or a computer. If there is no
executive management, then the game may be managed by the players themselves.

There may also be characters who are not run by players, but who also act
autonomously to some set of rules. These may be run by the games master or by
other people whose role is simply to add realism to the game.

Example

The original Dungeons and Dragons game is a multi-player,
role-playing game.

There are games where people run around woods and streets,
playing out stories such as zombie apocalypse.

Discussion

These games differ from simple competitions as the teams are not defined --
the players can hence decide which team they are on or whether they will go their own way.

Early computer 'multi-player dungeon' games (derived from Dungeons
and Dragons) were called 'MUDs'. MMRPGs now are 'massive, multi-player role
playing games' and can involve thousands of players exploring huge virtual
worlds.

Everyday life is in many ways a multi-player game. We work independently and
together within social rules towards various goals. Games we play mirror much of
these dynamics and can help us learn better survival and success skills.

Managing a multi-player game can be something of a juggling act where the
main goal is that everyone enjoys themselves enough to keep playing. A key way
of doing this is in sustaining hope that, even in the most dire situation, that
things may get better.

An important design aspect of multiplayer games is to give everyone enough
power and differentiation so they can make a unique contribution to groups and
hence feel significant and valuable. It can also mean allowing introverted
people to 'go it alone', giving them the scope to find their own way forward.